I Wonder if They Played Chess?
It is possible that Dustin caught a vision of his baseball mortality and sees the grim reaper before him. He might even have a greater sense of urgency now then ever as he will end this season at age 35.
And with a chance to win it all, his effort might surpass even his expectations.
Plus, Petey has always played best with a chip on his shoulder. He is going to want to prove his struggles both in the regular season and the Red Sox single postseason series were due to his injury, not declining skill.
Last year, if you wanted to know who the real Pedroia was, you had to ask somebody. This year, you’ll only have to look out on the field.
There are even a few ancillary reasons we might see the best Pedroia we have ever seen, which is saying something about a man who has won both a Rookie of the Year award and an MVP.
Can’t You Just Say, Extra
First is the Yankees. It’s one thing to try to win the division; it’s another when the boys from the Bronx seem like the biggest barrier. The Sox and Yanks have rarely fielded top teams at the same time during Petey’s tenure, save ’08 and ’09.
Now their seasons seem on a collision course.
Both teams know that their head-to-head meetings might decide the division. That is of utmost importance since any team can lose a one-game Wild Card playoff. This should make each Red Sox/Yankees regular season match-up akin to a postseason matchup.
And that will suit Dustin Pedroia just fine.
Whatever max effort he thought he was giving against the Orioles or White Sox will find a new top mark in Yankees games. But that won’t be his only motivation.